1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a goalkeeper""s glove including a thumb, a forefinger limiting, together with the thumb, a gusset space, the thumb and the forefinger forming part of an inner hand surface of the glove; a gusset located in the gusset space; and an edge seam associated with each of a thumb region and a forefinger region of the inner hand surface and narrowly defining a limited inner cross-section of the thumb and the forefinger, respectively, with both edge seams running toward the gusset.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With goalkeeper""s gloves of the type described above, the thumb and the forefinger of a hand of a goalkeeper wearing the glove pass well into the thumb and forefinger sections of the glove, with the thumb and forefinger sections being sidewise closed toward the gusset due to the presence of the edge seams. Because of the narrowly limited respective inner cross-sections, the thumb and the forefinger of the hand are reliably and firmly received in the thumb and forefinger sections of the glove. The gusset, which is formed by the edge seams, tightly engages the hand gusset from which the thumb and the forefinger of the hand extend.
DE 4241261A discloses a goalkeeper""s glove of the type described above in which the gusset space remains empty and open. The gusset space does not contribute to the inner hand surface of the glove. With such a glove, the thumb of the hand, which is located in the thumb section of the glove, can, under an unfavorable load, as a result of natural extension, be immediately bent out of the glove.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a goalkeeper""s glove in which the gusset space is used to prevent thumb bending and to increase the inner hand surface of the glove.
This and other objects of the present invention, which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved, according to the present invention, by providing a flexible gusset layer in the gusset space on the inner hand surface and securing the gusset layer with the edge seams associated with the thumb and the forefinger, with the gusset layer having a tear-resistant free edge extending between the two edge seams and spaced from the gusset along the thumb by a distance equal to at least one-fourth of the thumb length, and with the gusset layer widening away from the gusset.
Because of the gusset layer, the inventive goalkeeper""s glove has an increase inner hand surface which increases the ball-catching reliability as the ball-engaging glove surface is increased. In the goalkeeper""s glove according to the present invention, the thumb of the hand is reliably secured against outward bending resulting from a natural extension. The thumb section of the glove become attached in the gusset space, to the forefinger section, further contribution to the ball-catching reliability. The gusset layer does not tear the hand thumb upon an unfavorable load being applied to the hand. The gusset layer is a flexible part and, thus, does not affect the usability of the glove. The gusset layer had many similarities with a swimming web. The gusset layer does not adversely affect the tight positioning of the hand thumb in or guidance of the hand thumb into the thumb section of the glove.
It is particularly preferable and advantageous when the inner side surface of the gusset layer is formed of latex and/or when the inner side surface is made uneven. Latex or an equivalent material improves adhesion of the gusset layer to a catched ball, and the unevenness, e.g., waviness improves abutment of the gusset layer with the ball.
It is particularly preferable and advantageous when the gusset layer is formed of an insert that is folded backward to form the free edge. The fold improves the extension resistance of the free edge, and, generally, the folded gusset layer in much more rigid. The fold improves the overall appearance of the gusset layer and facilitate insertion of the gusset layer into the gusset space.
It is further preferable and advantageous to form the gusset layer as a separate piece and to sew it in the glove. The stitches are formed along the edges of the forefinger and the thumb sections around the gusset formed by these edges.
It is particularly preferable and advantageous when the gusset layer extends from the gusset to the free edge, and/or when the free edge, at the thumb, is spaced from the gusset at least by one-third of the thumb length. The gusset layer increases the useful surface and, thereby improves the desired ball-catching effect.
It is particularly preferable and advantageous when the thumb and forefinger-forming, inner hand part is sewed with the gusset layer by separate seams, and the edge seams connect the additional pieces of the thumb and the forefinger and additionally secure the gusset layer. In this way, the upper side of the associated region of the folded gusset layer is secured only by the edge seams. This simplifies the glove manufacturing.
It is particularly, preferable and advantageous when an intermediate piece which is located between forefinger upper and inner regions and at a side of the forefinger adjacent to the thumb, and a thumb upper hand part form an integral cut-out piece associated with the gusset layer.
The novel features of the present invention, which are considered as characteristic for the invention, are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its mode of operation, together with additional advantages and objects thereof, will be best understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, when read with reference to the accompanying drawings.